


(I will) Tread Lightly

by fickle_fixations



Category: The Boys (TV 2019)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Frenchie being careful to respect Kimiko's boundaries, Frenchie's real name, My First Fanfic, Pining, hand holding, really like a lot of hand holding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:36:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25770709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fickle_fixations/pseuds/fickle_fixations
Summary: Set at the motel in 1x8.  Frenchie is absolutely overwhelmed by his love for Kimiko - this love that was trying to burst forth from his chest, ramming against his ribs like they were prison bars. And so he does something he never imagined he would do: he tells her his greatest secret.“But I have no secrets from you.” he said, his voice quiet once again, “No one can keep secrets from their own heart.”(I'm not great at writing descriptions but it's just some tooth-rottingly sweet fluff of my favorite couple of all time.)
Relationships: The Female | Kimiko/The Frenchman
Comments: 10
Kudos: 86





	(I will) Tread Lightly

**Author's Note:**

> The title comes from a song called Tread Lightly by Forest Blakk. I didn't write the fic based on the song but when I was trying to think of a title this seemed fitting. The song sort of describes how I think Frenchie views Kimiko/their relationship. Thank you for reading <3

Frenchie awoke from a light slumber to the sound of a quiet, distant scream. His eyes slowly fluttered open. The scream had only been on the tv, which was still on for some reason.

He looked up and saw Kimiko, sitting on her pillow, holding her knees to her chest. The light from the tv flickered on her face in the dark, illuminating her eyes which were unwaveringly transfixed on the scenes before her. She was wearing the greyish-pink t-shirt and leggings she had picked out when the two of them went to the thrift store earlier that day. Frenchie’s yellow hoodie was wrapped around her. He smiled to himself as he watched her absentmindedly curl and uncurl the drawstrings around her fingers.

She looked so content. Almost serene. She was beautiful, his Kimiko.

He thought ‘his Kimiko,’ not in the sense that she belonged to him, but rather in the sense that she was often the only thought on his mind. She was his motivation and muse. His _raison d’être_. Frankly he couldn’t remember a time he had cared about anyone or anything anywhere near this much. She was his everything, now. She was his heart.

He wondered what she had been thinking about this whole time. (Surely shark week was not quite so interesting.) He wondered if her mind was back at her home by the water, all the way on the other side of the world.

As the light continued to dance on her features in bright and darker blues, Frenchie noticed how tired she looked. What time was it anyways?

“ _Mon coeur_?” he asked quietly, his voice sounding a bit groggy, “are you not going to sleep?”

She removed her gaze from the tv to look at him where he lay beside her, with his cheek resting on his arm. She shook her head ever so slightly.

Frenchie got up on his elbows, the cold motel room air hitting his chest through his thin t-shirt. He just kept watching her for a little while. When he looked at her, in still, quiet moments like this, the whole world outside disappeared from his mind. Despite how deep they both were in all this chaos and havoc, when it was just the two of them, all of that didn’t matter; everything else didn’t exist. He felt so safe around her. She felt safe around him too.

Kimiko looked back at him, then rested her hand on his. _I’m alright,_ she seemed to say. _Go back to sleep._

She smiled with her eyes. Those beautiful eyes that were so telling of the weariness within her.

Frenchie brought his other hand to rest on top of hers. He brushed his thumb back and forth over the surprisingly soft skin. It amazed him to think how these hands which he’d seen tear people in half could still be so gentle. 

_Dieu._ There were some times when Frenchie thought he could practically feel all the love he had for her physically weighing heavy in his chest. Yes, it was love. He could admit that to himself now. He’d always known it in a way, probably since the very first time he ever saw her. But now, finally, he let the word itself exist there in his mind as he gazed up at her. Love.

Love that overwhelmed him.

He picked up her hand and held it to his cheek, closing his eyes as he leaned into her palm. His lips brushed against her slightly calloused skin ever so lightly. Her hand was cool against his increasingly warm flesh. 

Frenchie paused his reveling in this feeling of closeness. He realized he probably should have thought before initiating physical contact. He knew how frightened Kimiko could get when it came to touch and the last thing he wanted was to startle her or make her uncomfortable.

But on the other hand, he knew he needed to do something or say something to let go of some of this love that was trying to burst forth from his chest, ramming against his ribs like they were prison bars.

Frenchie’s heart was beating wildly in his chest. He didn’t dare open his eyes. Not yet. He feared looking back up at her only to find that he had overstepped, and betrayed her trust.

And yet, Kimiko still hadn’t drawn away.

“Marius,” he said, just above a whisper.

He leaned once more into her palm before opening his eyes. The look on Kimiko’s face wasn’t anger or betrayal, but simply one of confusion. Her eyebrows remained raised as she continued to look down at him, expecting an explanation.

He sat up on his knees to be at her level and moved closer to her, still holding her hand in his.

“ _Mon coeur_ ,” he began, “ _ma Kimiko._ ”

He searched her eyes for reassurance. Reassurance in what, he did not know.

“I realize, I have known your name all this time but you have not known mine.” he said.

“You see, no one knows my name. Not Butcher, not M.M., not the government,” he spat, “Everyone, they call me ‘Frenchie’ or some kind of stupid nickname.”

Kimiko looked as if she understood, now.

“But my name is Marius, _mon coeur,_ ” he said, “and you are the only person who knows this now. You are the only person in the world who I ever want to know me by my real name.”

 _You are the only person in the world who I ever want to love._

“My name, it has always been my greatest secret, _mon coeur_ , because it is something that is mine, you see.” he said firmly, tapping on his chest twice. “No matter what hell I go through; no matter what the supes or the feds or any of these other bastards try to take from me, they can _never_ take my name.”

“But I have no secrets from you.” he said, his voice quiet once again, “No one can keep secrets from their own heart.”

He looked down to where he still held Kimiko’s hand. He was almost certain he had said too much, but at the same time, he didn’t regret a single word. It was an undeniable truth that everything he had and everything he was belonged to her.

He raised his eyes to meet hers once more. She smiled at him warmly… lovingly. She mimicked his gesture from before, bringing his hand to her cheek closing her eyes for a moment as she leaned into his touch.

 _Marius._ The name sounded in her head, though she could not repeat it. His name sounded to her like the sweetest music. Her Marius.

The man took in a shaky breath.

This must be what it felt like to be completely and truly loved in return.

He wanted to sink into this feeling and drown in it. He wanted to stay in this moment forever. Being there with her felt like home.

Neither of them tried to sleep for the rest of the night. They just sat there on that bed that was like an island - where they could simply take comfort in each other’s presence and forget about the rest of the world.

Eventually, when sunlight was just beginning to peek into the room through the curtains, Kimiko leaned her head on her Marius’ shoulder, nestling into the soft fabric of his worn-out shirt. She felt him gently brush some stray hairs away from her face as she finally allowed her eyes to close.

**Author's Note:**

> You can check out my Tumblr for more content and information about my writing :)


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